Furnace roof block with sheet metal hanger



April 17,1 1962 N. T. cRlcHToN FURNACE ROOF BLOCK WITH SHEET METAL HANGER Filed March 23, 1961 v BY @MM/MJ n@ TTOQNEKS i Ice Patented Apr. 17, 1962 3,029,755 FURNACE ROOF BLOCK WITH SHEET METAL HANGER Neil Thomas Crichton, Pittsburgh, Pa., assigner to Harbison-Walker Refractories Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania v Filed Mar. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 97,917

Claims. (Cl. 11G-99) This invention relates to furnace roof blocks, and more particularly to refractory bricks that are suspended by separate sheet metal hangers. lt is among the objects of this invention to provide a furnace roof block, to which an inexpensive hanger can be quickly attached at the time theblock is installed in a roof, and to which the hanger is locked when it is applied to the block.

In accordance with this invention, a refractory brick has a recess in one side near its upper end. The brick also has a slot in the same side extending from its upper end down to the recess. The slotted side of the brick is covered by a metal plate secured to the brick and having an opening through it beside the recess. The portion of the plate above the opening is offset into the slot. Disposed against the outer surface of the offset portion and extending above it is a sheet metal hanger tab that is provided with a laterally projecting lower end portion projecting through the plate opening and into the brick recess to support the block. The tab is locked in place by means of a downwardly inclined lug that overlaps the top of the plate. The tab is furnished with the upper part/bent outwardly away from the lower part to raise the lug so that it can be slipped over the top of the plate. Then, When the tab is straightened, the lug is swung down behindY the plate to lock the tab in position.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary face view of the furnace roof block with the hanger in place;

FIG. 2 is a combination plan view and horizontal section taken on the line :Il-ll of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a combination side view and vertical section taken on the line IIL-III of FIG. l; and

FIG. 4 is an edge View of the hanger tab before it is applied to the plate.

Referring to the drawings, an upright refractory brick 1, suitable for use in a furnace roof, has at least one side face covered by a metal plate 2. In most instances, this plate will form one side of a two-piece metal case surrounding the brick in a well-known manner. The side of the brick adjoining the plate just mentioned is provided near its upper end with a central recess 3, and also with a slot 4 that extends from the top of the brick down to the recess. The plate has an opening 5 through it beside the recess, but the plate above the opening projects a short distance down into it and preferably is bent back at an inclination in the brick recess to form an inclined tongue 6. The portion 7 of the metal plate beside the slot is offset inwardly into the slot. At the upper end of this offset portion, the brick is provided with a notch 8 that extends a short distance down behind the plate.

Refractory bricks of this character often are reinforced with Vertical members, such as sheet metal strips or plates, embedded in them. One form of reinforcement is a vertical channel lib that has a web embedded in the recessed side of the brick, and flanges that extend most of the way through the brick. When such a channel is used, the upper portion 11 of its web is offset inwardly so that it will form the inner wall of slot 4 and engage the inner surface of offset portion 7 of the metal plate or case above tongue 6.

Disposed in the recess formed by oiset portion 7 of the metal plate is a hanger tab 13, which is a fairly'stiff strip of sheet metal that islong enough to extend from opening 5 up to a point a considerable distance above the brick. The lower Vend of the tab is bent to form a laterally projecting portion, preferably in the form of a hook 14, that extends through the plate opening and back into brick recess 3 and up behind tongue 6 as shown in FIG. 3. The purpose of this hook is to support the brick when the tab is suspended from a support, such as a hook or supporting rod (not shown) that may extend through an opening 15 in the upper end of the tab. Although the inner end of the hook may engage the top of the brick recess, it is not necessary that it do so, but it is desirable that it engage the lower end of tongue 6 so that some, if not all, of the weight of the brick will be transmitted through the case to the hanger tab.

It is a feature of this invention that the hanger tab is designed for application to the brick by the men building the furnace roof. An advantage of this is that the bricks can be shipped without the hanger tabs projecting from them and the tabs can be lshipped separately in bundles or boxes. Under conditions where the hanger tabs are not necessary, the bricks can be used without the tabs, but in the usual case the tabs will be locked onto the bricks just before theyr are hung in place.

To permit that to be done, the tab is furnished in the shape shown in FIG. 4. At a predetermined distance above its Vlower end, the central portion of the tab is provided with a laterally projecting lug 16 above the hook. The lug preferably is struck out of the tab, and it extends straight out or is inclined downwardly to some extent. At opposite sides of the upper end of the lug the tab is bent transversely to incline the upper portion of the tab away from its hook side. The inclination of the upper part of the hanger tab and the position of the lug are such that after the hook has been hooked around tongue 6 in the brick recess the lower portion of the tab can be placed flat against the metal plate because lug 16 will pass over the upper end of the plate as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. The upper end of the tab then is bent inwardly toward the brick into a substantially vertical position to Vswing the lower end of the lug down behind the upper end of the plate into a notch 17 formed in the brick for that purpose. That operation hooks the lug over the plate and draws hook 14 up tight against tongue 6 to lock the hanger tab in place as shown. Brick slot 4 is made deep enough to prevent the outer face of the tab from projecting from the face of the block.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to rep resent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

l. A furnace roof block comprising a brick having upper and lower ends and a recess in one side near its upper end, the brick also having a slot in said side extending from its upper end down to the recess, a metal plate covering said side of the brick and secured thereto, the plate having an opening therethrough beside said recess, the upper portion of the plate being offset into said slot down as far as said opening, and a sheet metal hanger tab disposed against the outer surface of said offset portion of the plate and extending above it, the tab being provided with a laterally `projecting lower end portion projecting through said plate opening into said recess, and

the tab also having a downwardly inclined lug hooked over the top of said plate.

2. A furnace roof block as dened in claim 1, in which the portion of said tab .above said lug is bendable forward away from the brick to a position in which the lower end of the lug isV above the level of the top of said plate.

3. A furnace roof block as defined in claim 1, in which said lug is a struck-out part of the tab.

4. Aiurnace roof block comprising a brick having` upper 'andlovver endsand a recess in one side near its upper end, the brick also having a slot in said side extending from its upper' end down to the recess, a metal plate covering said side of the brick and secured thereto, the plate having an opening therethrough beside said recess, the upper portion of the plate being odset into said slot down as far as said opening, the lower end of said offset portion forming a tongue projecting inwardly into said recess, and a sheet metal hanger tab disposed against the outersurface of said oset portion of the plate and extending above it, the tab being provided at its lower end with a laterally projecting hook projecting through vsaid opening and around said'tongue and the tab having a downwardly inclined lug hooked over the top of said plate and holding said hook up behind lthe tongue.

5. A furnace roof block as defined in claim 4, in which said tongue is incline'dand said hook engages the lower end of the tongue. v

No references cited. 

